Surrealism, African Ceramics Highlight Art Gallery Fall Calendar

African vessels

(Wednesday, October 19, 2011) A retrospective of the Chester County artist Valetta and an exhibition of African vessels from the collection of Dr. David and Karina Rilling will highlight the November and December calendar at the Widener University Art Gallery. The exhibitions will run from November 1 through December 10.

 

The Valetta retrospective includes more than 60 creations from the artist from 1990 to 2010. The images in the exhibition reflect glimpses of life, memories and inventions that cross from the 20^th century into the current millennium.

A resident of Westtown, Pa., Valetta continues to produce works in new media using stream of consciousness method in a figurative surrealistic style. Well known for her work in the feminist movement, Valetta has been involved in curating and promoting both established and emerging women artists since the late 1970s.

A reception with the artist will be held on November 5 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Widener Art Gallery followed by a talk featuring Valetta on Thursday, November 10 at 12 p.m. in University Center Room C followed by a light lunch in the Art Gallery.

The exhibition of African vessels from the collection of Sellersville, Pa. residents Dr. David and Karina Rilling will include 16 ceramic vessels from the West African countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Republic of Benin and Nigeria. They include a rare, ancient jar created between the 10^th and 13^th centuries in the ancient civilization of Djenné, and examples of vessels from five ethnic groups made in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. They were selected from a gift of African art works given to Widener University by the Rillings in 1999.

A reception will be held on November 9 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Widener Art Gallery. The reception will include a performance by noted dancer and choreographer Anssumane Sillá at 6 p.m. in the University Center atrium. A resident of Philadelphia, Sillá is a native of Guinea Bissau and will perform works based on his native country’s heritage.

The exhibition is the senior project of John Thomas, a fine arts major from Philadelphia, Pa. In addition to serving as curator for the exhibition and arranging the dance performance, he will also teach a third grade class about African ceramics at the Widener Partnership Charter School as part of the project.

The gallery, which is free and open to the public, is open on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Wednesdays through Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The gallery will be closed Nov. 24-26 for the Thanksgiving holiday. The gallery is located on the Main Campus of Widener University in University Center on 14^th Street between Walnut Street and Melrose Avenue in Chester.